Blog – Page 52 – Janis Van Keuren

Autumn Marks Its Season

Autumn stirs my senses and beckons me to embrace its vibrancy like no other season of the year. Pumpkin orange, sun-fire yellow, burnt cranberry, maple-leaf red encircle me like a forest of color. Candles glowing dance with fragrances of autumn leaves, apple cider, and pumpkin pie spice. The whole house tingles with the season’s sensations and the anticipation of holiday celebrations. Gratefully, the Lord has created beauty for each season of the year and each season of our lives. … Continue reading →

Top of the Charts for September

Leaves Changing Colors on a local mountain top–2009 We’re moving into Fall with its brilliant colors, rich tastes, and heady fragrances. October ushers in the holiday season. Temperatures are cooling, even here in the desert, and there’s a quickness in my step as I look forward to the festive seasons and changes in God’s creation that lay ahead. With this in mind, perhaps it would be a good idea to see which of the September posts had the most … Continue reading →

Classic Beef Stroganoff

This week we celebrated Hubby’s birthday with his favorite meal, Beef Stroganoff. For me, it always requires a lot of juggling to make everything finish at just the right time, without drying out, overcooking, or turning limp. So, Hubby gets it once a year or a nice dinner out. After dragging my feet the whole weekend, contemplating if I was up for the challenge, I finally moved into action on Sunday and put it in high gear. With … Continue reading →

Learning the Ways of the Lord

Crater Lake, Oregon 2004 “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” Michah 4:2 NIV While a physical mountain will not teach us the ways of the Lord nor bring us His wisdom, direction, or help, sometimes basking in the magnificence of God’s multi-faceted creation, we can find His peace, see … Continue reading →

The Market Place Press–A Street Life View

Pike’s Market Place, Seattle, Washington 2004 The press of the crowd was stifling on a record breaking 106 degrees on the streets above the Seattle waterfront. We came to the northwest in July to visit friends and get away from the triple-digit weather back home in Arizona. Instead, it looked like we brought the heat with us. Flesh brushed against flesh as perspiration trickled down our backs and clothes clung like the smell of fish in the famous Pike’s … Continue reading →

The Blessing of Hubby

And the Blessings Flow One Upon Another for those Who Are the Lord’s Today is Hubby’s birthday but we celebrated on Sunday when all could relax and enjoy our time together. I made his favorite meal, Beef Stroganoff with basil green beans, noodles, and crescent rolls. We set a festive table in the dining room with crystal goblets and burning candles, dripping burgundy wax into the holders. Youngest picked up the ice cream cake for dessert while oldest … Continue reading →

Just Dessert

Rich, creamy semi-sweet chocolate swirled over a mix of peanut butter with graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar makes a mouth-watering snack-sized dessert for a party, holiday gathering, or potluck. Tomorrow, I’ll bring it to work to just say, “thank you for your kindness” to all the teachers with whom I work. This dessert is ranked high on our family’s “must haves” for the holidays. And the best part is that it is easy to make and does … Continue reading →